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New York City isn’t exactly known for its car culture but that isn’t stopping a handful of automakers from unleashing their latest and greatest performance cars at the 2014 New York auto show this week. With power outputs ranging from a quaint 160 hp, to a frankly mad 625 hp, we thought it was about time to take a look at the best performance cars the New York auto show has to offer.

The coupe leads Alfa’s millionth return to the North American marketplace. It is designed to compete against the Porsche Boxster and Cayman, and made almost entirely of carbon fiber. The lightweight sports car features a mid-mounted 1.7-liter turbocharged I-4 producing 237 hp and 258 lb-ft of torque. Power is sent to the rear wheels through a six-speed dual-clutch automatic. The Alfa 4C Spider will likely make its way to America in time for the 2016 model year.

The last time Aston Martin attempted a budget car the result was the Aston Martin Cygnet – which was a Scion iQ with a new grille. We like this effort much better. Starting at “only” around $100,000, the Aston Martin V8 Vantage GT is the British automaker’s newest “entry-level” car. The gorgeous V8 Vantage GT gets a Vantage GT4 race car-inspired paint job, and a 4.7-liter V-8 producing 430 hp and 361 lb-ft of torque. The new Aston is available with a seven-speed single-clutch automatic gearbox, but any true lover of brutish British sports cars will opt for the six-speed manual.

True, Audi may not have upgraded the RS 7’s powerplant with the new RS 7 Dynamic Edition, but why bother when its 4.0-liter twin-turbo V-8 already puts out 560 hp and 516 lb-ft of torque? Rather than increase power in the 2014 Audi RS 7 Dynamic Edition’s already potent powerplant, Audi fits the four-door fastback with an upgraded performance suspension, a revised steering rack, and a handful of visual upgrades including (but not limited to!) red seat belts.

Growing up in Brooklyn, most all convertibles I saw parked on the street had one trait in common: duct tape patchwork on their fabric roofs, which served as a repair after the tops were sliced open as criminals pilfered through the interior. The BMW M4 Convertible team must’ve had a similar upbringing, as the crew responsible for the new M4 Convertible (formerly the M3 Convertible) made sure to fit it with a power-retractable metal top, in addition to its twin-turbocharged 425-hp 3.0-liter I-6. Good look busting through that, baddies.

The new Chevy Corvette Z06 Convertible is arguably the highest-performing Corvette Convertible of all time. Its new LT4 6.2-liter supercharged V-8 sports at least 625 hp and 635-lb-ft of torque. All that twist is sent to the rear-wheels via a seven-speed manual, or an all-new quick-shifting eight-speed automatic.

The iconic Dodge Challenger gets its first truly significant update at the NY auto show and now looks badder than ever. The updated Challenger now looks even more sinister with halo LED headlights, a throwback grille, and an available shaker hood scoop. The Hemi Challenger is now also a better performer than ever before with more power and an eight-speed automatic transmission.

The current Dodge Charger is arguably the most menacing-looking car on the road, and yet somehow the 2015 Dodge Charger is even more intimidating — even if it has been visually softened compared to the pre-refresh model. The new Dodge Charger packs the same rear-wheel drive (all-wheel drive is optional) V-6 and V-8 powertrains as before, but now backed with eight-speed automatics across the range.

The Blue Oval is celebrating the 50th birthday of the iconic Mustang with the 2015 Ford Mustang 50th Anniversary Edition. Based on the Mustang GT – which is expected to be powered by a 440-hp 5.0-liter V-8 – the Mustang 50th Anniversary Edition gets paint and styling cues straight out of 1965, making it the ultimate expression of when old meets new. The Mustang 50th Anniversary edition is available with a six-speed manual or a six-speed automatic. No matter the transmission, all 1964 Mustang 50th Anniversary Editions made will come with Brembo brakes, a limited-slip differential, and summer performance tires.

An automatic-equipped hot hatch might be the bane of the enthusiast’s existence, but in this case it makes a lot of sense. The Fiat 500 Abarth is already a favorite of ours, and by adding a six-speed automatic transmission to compliment the already available five-speed manual, we think Fiat is vastly increasing its customer appeal, especially in markets like New York. Though it’s backed by a new transmission, the 2015 Fiat 500 Abarth is still powered by a spunky 1.4-liter I-4 making 160 hp and 170 lb-ft of torque.

The Italian trident surprised New York with these coupes and convertibles designed for “those who desire inspired automobiles,” a Maserati release said. The cars are available with special “three-layer” color schemes and a wide choice of wheels. The rear of those wheels are powered by a 454 hp 4.7-liter V-8 mated to a ZF six-speed transmission. That combo gets these vehicles up to 185 mph, from which you can come to a stop using the Brembo brakes. The sharp interiors come in black with red trim or look-at-me white with royal blue trim. The MC Centennials go on sale in July.

When the McLaren 650S makes its U.S. debut at the New York International Auto Show it’ll mark the first time the American public gets a chance to see just why the McLaren 12C was unceremoniously discontinued. Based on the 12C it replaces, the McLaren 650S sports a new P1-inspired nose and a more powerful 3.8-liter twin-turbo V-8 making 641 hp. For those that enjoying topless motoring, the new 650S also comes in the folding-hardtop-equipped 650S Spider flavor.

OK, so maybe Mercedes-Benz didn’t actually unveil the Mercedes-Benz AMG GT at the New York auto show, but the German automaker did give us our first official peek at the new sports car with some sexy interior shots. Designed to replace the beloved gull-winged Mercedes SLS AMG, the AMG GT is a smaller, more manageable sports car. Likely powered by a 4.0-liter twin-turbo V-8, the AMG GT has been designed to make Porsche 911 owners want to go home and cry. Or at least go to the Mercedes dealer to see what their trade-in value is. Can it unseat the segment king? Only time will tell.

Want to spend lots (and lots!) of money and go real fast? Mercedes has the new ride for you. The 2015 Mercedes-Benz S63 AMG Coupe 4Matic stepped out into public for the first time here in NY. The gorgeous luxury sports coupe has a six-figure sticker, and packs plenty of wallop. Under the hood of the S63 AMG Coupe is a hand-built 5.5-liter twin-turbo V-8 making 577 hp and 664 lb-ft of torque, routed through a seven-speed automatic to a rear-biased all-wheel drive system. Merc says the S63 Coupe will accelerate from 0-60 mph in a staggering 3.9 seconds.

No, it’s not a performance car in the traditional sense (or a car, even), but the new Ram 2500 Power Wagon is one of our favorite performers of the New York International Auto Show. The Power Wagon is designed for performing well off-the road. To do that, it’s got a big, burly 6.4-liter “Hemi” V-8 making 410 hp and 429 lb-ft of torque, a heavy-duty two-speed four-wheel drive system, and beefy front and rear axles. The new Power Wagon also sports electronically-disconnecting sway bars, and 14.5-inches of ground clearance.

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